


The Company

by AmaranthPrincess21



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-02-20 02:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmaranthPrincess21/pseuds/AmaranthPrincess21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've just gotten a new job at your brother's company and caught the eye of executive Levi Ackerman and his assistant Jean Kirstein. The two fight for your attention while keeping Erwin in the dark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a request I got over Deviant Art.  
> Each chapter is an alternate ending.

_Shit, I can’t be late! Mr. Ackerman is going to kill me if I’m late with his tea and breakfast!_ Jean was hurrying through the building, his legs taking long strides as he hurried to his boss’ office. He turned sharply around a corner and walked straight into someone. He was able to save the tea and the pastries in his hand from falling to the ground, but you were not as lucky with your cargo. Coffee splashed onto your white shirt and dripped down the waist of your pencil skirt.

“Oh, crap, I’m so sorry,” Jean apologized, kicking himself as he watched you look down at the damage that had been done. You sighed, bending over and picking up the now empty coffee cup. 

“It’s fine.” Jean’s mind went blank as he stared back into your pretty face. “I’ll just go get another cup. It’s not a big deal,” you tried to brush it off. 

“I-I’ll make it up to you. I can try and find you something different to wear -” he said quickly, wanting to repair the damage that had been done. _I’ve never seen her before. She must be new here. Although, last time I checked we weren’t hiring. Maybe we were and I just didn’t notice . . ._

“No, it’s okay. I don’t live that far from here. I can ask my boss if I can run home really fast and change,” you replied. 

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind -” 

“No, it’s okay,” you waved away his offer. “After all, you look like you were in a hurry. I don’t want to delay you any longer. I’ll see you around . . .” your voice trailed off, gazing at him and silently asking him to supply his name. 

“Jean. Jean Kirstein,” he said. 

“I’m [First]. I’ll see you around, Jean,” with a quick wave, you were on your way, leaving Jean in the middle of the hallway with his boss’ tea and breakfast in his hands. 

His boss. 

“Shit!” 

  
“Tch. Took you long enough, Kirstein. What happened?” Levi Ackerman demanded, looking up from his computer to give his assistant a death glare. 

“Sorry, I ran into someone on my way here,” Jean explained, handing the pastries and tea over to Levi. He waved it away. 

“Carry it to Erwin’s office for me. I have a meeting to attend and I’ll have to eat it there since you took so damn long getting here.” Jean shot his boss a dirty look as he stood up and made for Erwin’s office. _He needs to get laid,_ he thought, following him around the corner and into the office of CEO Erwin Smith. Levi didn’t bother knocking on Erwin’s door, going ahead and walking in. A jolt of shock went through Jean’s body as he saw you and Erwin hugging. 

“Are we interrupting something?” Levi asked, leaning against the doorframe. You laughed, letting go of Erwin. 

“Far from it. I was about to leave,” you said nonchalantly, starting to walk towards the door. “I’ll be back within a half-hour, Erwin.” 

“Okay. Drive safely, [First],” he told you, eliciting a smirk from you. 

“Might I remind you that I’m a better driver than you?” you teased him. “But fine, I’ll be safe.” You gave Jean a small little wave as you left the office, hurrying past him and Levi. Jean noticed the shorter man discreetly watching you go. 

“She’s a little young for you, don’t you think?” Levi commented, shutting the door and motioning for Jean to sit next to him in front of Erwin’s desk. “I wouldn’t mind having her in _my_ office, you know, but I was under the impression you liked women your own age.” 

“She’s my sister.” 

“Oh.” 

"Sir, I wasn't aware you had a sister," Jean said. 

"Her biological parents died in a car crash a few years ago. Our parents took her in soon after it happened," Erwin explained, sitting down. 

"She's never come to the Christmas parties, has she?" Levi asked. "I've never seen her before." 

"She's made getting through high school and then college her top priority. I'm sure this is the first time she's left her room in years for somewhere that’s not school," Erwin joked. "She's new here, and I would appreciate it if you two made her feel welcome. Not _too_ welcome, Levi," he added, giving the short man a sharp look. 

"Tch, I was just joking," Levi defended himself. Jean knew his boss well enough to know he hadn't been. 

“Good. Now, we’ll start this meeting once Hange and Mike get here. We need to all be together when we discuss how we’re going to accomplish this big of a project . . .” 

*The Next Day* 

“I need you to run down to the office supply store and get me a new binder for these papers,” Levi told Jean as the two sat in his office. 

“What’s wrong with the one you got?” Jean inquired, an eyebrow raised. 

“At the rate we’re going paper-wise, I’m going to run out of room in this binder and having two is excessive. I need the largest they have, none of that D-ring bullshit, and I want the ring to be on the back part of the binder. Got it?” Levi instructed. Jean sighed, standing up. 

“Got it, sir. I’ll be back in thirty minutes,” he replied, fishing his keys out of his pocket. 

“Take your time.” Levi waited to pick up his phone until Jean left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Levi dialed the number of your cubicle. The phone hadn’t even rang yet and he was already anxiously waiting for you to pick up, the sick feeling of butterflies in his stomach making his impatience worse. 

“Hello, this is [First] Smith,” you replied cheerily. “How may I help you?” 

“[First], it’s Levi Ackerman. If you’re not busy doing anything right now, I would appreciate it if you came over to my office and helped me sort some paperwork from a previous project,” he said. 

“Of course, sir! I’ll be right over!” you replied. The two of you hung up, and Levi breathed a sigh of relief that you were available. _Thank God I was able to get her over here,_ he thought. The light tapping on his door alerted him of your presence. He called you in and gave you a stack of papers to sort, explaining what needed to be done. 

“Thanks for helping me out, [First],” he told you, sorting through his own pile of paper. 

“It’s no problem! I don’t have anything that needs to be done today, so this works out really well,” you explained. “Although, I am a bit curious why Jean isn’t helping you out.” 

“I need a new binder for this project so I sent him out to the store to get me one,” Levi explained. 

“Oh, okay. Yeah, the amount of paper is insane,” you laughed. 

“Just wait until this project gets rolling. It'll just get worse," he commented with a small smirk. 

"I can imagine. During projects Erwin always comes home later than normal," you chuckled. 

"You live with him?" Levi asked. 

"Our parents left for a months long European trip right after I graduated from college. I'm still saving up for my own place, so for the time being I'm staying with Erwin," you replied. "Housing prices here are so crazy. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised that he managed to move out and get a really nice place so soon after starting the business." 

"Well, hopefully once these new apartments are up, it'll make housing prices fall a little and you'll be able to get your own place," he said, although he didn’t entirely mean it. He wanted housing prices up, but he didn’t want you living with Erwin. It would be awkward if he had to go to Erwin’s apartment to pick you up for dates. 

"Hopefully. And by then I should have enough money to get a place in the Shiganshina Complex," you said cheerfully. 

"Don't move there," he warned darkly. "It's a dump." 

"But it's cheap," you argued. "And it's not _too_ bad." 

"There was a mass murder there what, five years ago? Before that, there was a huge prostitution and STD problem there. And now it's overrun with gangs. You'd be better off staying with your brother, or getting a place in Dauper." 

"Dauper? The farming community outside of town? No, thank you. I stayed in the city for a reason," you scoffed, straightening up a pile of files. "I'm going to stay here in Trost. End of story." There was a fire behind your words, and Levi admired it. You were a girl with a determined mind, and he liked that a lot. 

"Well, if you nee help finding a place, I'd be more than willing to help," he offered. 

"That's very kind of you to offer, sir," you said, giving him a kind smile. "But I'm sure my brother and, if they're back by then, my parents will help me find a place." He nodded. _Damn it. Maybe after we've known each other a while, I can give my offer again and she'll accept it,_ he thought. 

"All right. As long as you have someone helping you out," he said with a small grin. There were two, short knocks at his door. “What?” Levi called out, irritation in his voice. _Who’s interrupting us?!_

“It’s Erwin; can I come in?” he asked. Levi sighed, thinking, _Well, you can but I don’t want you to._

“Yeah. Come in,” he said sourly. The tall blond entered with a huge pile of papers. 

“I didn’t expect to see you here, [First],” Erwin said to you. He glanced at Levi, silent and face masked with an ambiguously angry and cold expression. 

“Mr. Ackerman has Jean out on an errand and asked me to help him with some sorting and filing,” you explained, ignoring the obvious tension in the air. 

“Oh, did he?” Erwin asked, pointedly staring at Levi. You rolled your eyes, leaning back in your chair. 

“I finished all my work, Erwin. I can afford to be in here helping Mr. Ackerman,” you told him sternly. 

“Then I’ll just give you another part of the project to do,” he said, motioning for you to stand up. You clearly wanted to roll your eyes, but you suppressed the temptation and stood up, following your brother out of Levi’s office. Levi gave Erwin a dark glare as the two left. _Tch. If I’m going to spend time with her, I’m going to have to get more creative than just calling her in here. . ._

*Four Days Later* 

"We'll go out to the site in a week just to make sure everything's all right before we get the construction started," Erwin said as you and Jean took notes. You three, Levi, and the other two executives Hange Zoe and Mike Zacharias were in a meeting discussing breaking ground. 

"Mike and I, along with some of our team, have already surveyed the land and it's perfect for what we need," Hange argued. 

"I want to see the area for myself. I've done that since day one, and I'll continue to do it," Erwin insisted. 

"All right. But I'm telling you, it's the perfect spot," Hange said, folding her arms in front of her chest. 

"What I'm worried about is the area it's in," Mike began. "It's not a slum by any means, but it's a lot sketchier than most parts of town. Are we going to be able to sell these apartments _and_ make a profit?" 

"We will. The apartments will go like hotcakes and with the community work we're funding there, we'll make a profit and revitalize the area," he said. The shrill beeps of Mike's watch assaulted everyone's ears. You visibly flinched, your pen flying over the paper and leaving a black scar over your notes. 

"Sorry 'bout that," he mumbled, turning it off. Erwin glanced at his clock. 

"It looks like this meeting is going to run into lunch," he commented before turning to you. "[First], could you make a food run for us?" 

"Of course! I'd be happy to," you replied. "Who wants food?" Unsurprisingly, everyone raised their hands. You chuckled, ripping out a page in your notebook and after everyone decided on getting food from the nearby Panera, you asked for their orders. 

"Are you going to be able to carry all of that food by yourself?" Erwin asked as you grabbed your purse. 

"Yes, I can, sir," you replied, a hint of venom in your voice. 

"How about you take Jean with you, just in case?" Erwin suggested. Levi's eyes flickered with alarm while Jean fought to keep a smug grin off of his face. 

"Sure, I'll go and help," Jean agreed, standing up. 

"I'd rather have Jean stay here. If both of them are gone, then who's going to take notes?" Levi demanded. 

"I can go grab Nifa and have her take notes," Jean suggested. _Oh no, you’re not getting in my way of this,_ Jean thought aggressively. 

"Nifa's a doll! She's very good at taking notes. Go grab her and bring her in," Hange said. 

"All right. Jean, [First], go get Nifa," Erwin said. Jean had to keep himself from laughing at Levi's sour expression. 

"You got it, sir," you said, leaving the office with Jean. You quickly grabbed Nifa and sent her to Erwin's office, giving her the low down before making your way to the parking garage with Jean. 

"God, it feels so good to stand," he commented. "I wasn't made to sit for hours on end." 

"Then why did you choose an office job?" you inquired. 

"The money was good," he said. "Do you wanna go in my car?" 

"I'm up for that," you said. "And yeah, I get that. Survey pays more than most companies do." 

"So you just joined for the money too?" Jean asked. 

"That and it's a good company to start a career in. It's become prolific and it'll look good on a resume when I move on. And then of course my brother's here, so that's a plus." Jean nodded, unlocking his car. _Thank God I cleaned it last night,_ he thought as you climbed into the passenger seat. 

"So you're not going to stay here?" he inquired, backing out and heading towards the heart of downtown. You snorted. 

"God, no. Construction's not my thing. I'm just using this as a jumpstart, you know?" 

"Yeah. I planned on doing the same thing until I got promoted with a nice pay raise," he admitted. 

"Getting to be someone's assistant is a promotion around here?" you asked critically. 

"From my first position? Hell yeah," he said. His phone went off, the ringtone of "Boss Ass Bitch" filling the car. You laughed while Jean groaned. "That's Mr. Ackerman. Can you answer and tell him I'm driving right now?" 

"Sure," you said. His face lit up red like a Christmas light as you reached into his pants pocket to get his phone. You didn't notice his embarrassment, answering the phone. 

"Hi Mr. Ackerman, Jean's driving right now. Is everything all right? Shouldn't you, Erwin, and the other executives be talking right now?" Jean wished he could hear what Levi was saying; you giggled at something he had said. "I think we'll be okay, sir." 

"Hey [First], what street is Panera on again?" he asked. _That short prick isn’t going to win this; I’m not going to let him._

"Hold on a moment, Mr. Ackerman. Uh, it's on Sextant Drive," you said. "Oh, no sir. Jean was asking what street Panera was on." 

"What does he want?" Jean asked quietly. You bobbed your head, acknowledging that you'd heard him but listening to whatever Levi was saying on the other line. You placed the phone against your chest. 

"He just changed his mind on what he wanted, is all," you said before resuming the call. "I'm back, sir. I'll make sure to remember that. We'll be back soon. Bye, Mr. Ackerman." You hung up, putting Jean's phone in the cup holder. "He's talkative, isn't he?" you chuckled. 

"Yeah, he never shuts up," Jean lied. _I can't let her know that he's acting differently around her._ "So Panera's on Sextant? How far away is that?" 

"You know the shopping area next to the arena? It's in there, so not the next intersection, but the one after that you wanna get in the left turn lane.” 

“Got it,” he replied. 

“Hey, um. Jean, I know it’s been a few days and I should’ve said this earlier, but I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone that Erwin’s my brother,” you asked. 

“How come?” he asked, glancing over to you. You looked shy, nervous, almost. 

“I don’t want people thinking I got the job just because my brother’s head bitch in charge,” you confided in him. 

“All right, you got it,” he said, looking over his shoulder before getting in the left turn lane. 

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” you said gratefully. 

“Yeah, no problem. It’s completely understanda – oh, come on! He just got off the phone not even three minutes ago!” Jean said in an outrage as his phone went off again. 

“I got it,” you said, but Jean moved your hand away. 

“I’ll do it,” he grumbled. You slapped his wrist. 

“Driving while on the phone’s illegal, remember? Don’t worry, I can take it. It’s not a big deal,” you replied, picking up his phone. “Hi, Mr. Ackerman! We’re just turning into the Panera parking lot right now!” Jean parked while you stayed on the phone with Levi. “All right, got it. We’ll be back in fifteen, tops. Bye!” You hung up the phone and handed it to Jean. “Talk about a picky eater. He forgot to specify some things on his order.” 

“He’s fucking weird, more like,” Jean remarked, getting out of the car. 

“Well, it seems most men in this company are. After all, Erwin’s the one running things,” you laughed. 

*A Week Later* 

“All right, are we all set to go?” Erwin asked his small group. You nodded and a few others mumbled that they were ready to go out to the construction site. “[First], do you have all of the supplies we’ll need?” 

“Yes, sir. They’re all in my backpack,” you assured your brother. 

“Good. Let’s head out then. I have room for four people in my car,” he said, leading you all into the elevator. 

“Mike, Nifa, Moblit, and I can go in my car,” Hange offered. 

“All right. Levi, Jean, [First], you three can ride with me,” he said. The elevator doors open and the eight of you made your way to the parking garage. 

“Sounds good, sir,” Jean commented. 

“We’ll see you guys at the site,” Hange said, beeps echoing through the concrete structure as she unlocked her car. Erwin nodded and unlocked his own car. You opted to sit in the back, Jean stealing the seat next to you. Levi shot him a dirty look when Erwin had his back turned and got in the passenger seat. 

“How far is the site from here?” he asked as Erwin pulled out of his spot and then out of the parking garage. 

“About twenty minutes. It shouldn’t be a long excursion,” Erwin said. “And then once we return we’ll have a meeting and get started on the construction.” 

“Sounds good,” Levi said. Your phone went off, your ringtone filling the car as you dug into your backpack and pulled it out. 

“It’s Mom and Dad,” you told Erwin before answering the phone. “Hi! Where are you guys now? Oh my God, lucky! I’d love to go back there!” – you paused, listening to the other line – “Yeah, I remember that. I’m sure he does too and I can assure you he probably would not like carrying me through the London Dungeon again.” – You paused again – “He’s driving right now, he can’t talk. We’re actually doing a job-related thing right now.” – Another pause – “Yeah, we’re checking out a site where we’re going to build some really nice apartments. Wait, what was that?” – Jean watched your face fall and then turn into a scowl directed at your brother – “I’m sorry, he did what now?” 

“Erwin, what did you do?” Levi asked him. The taller man blatantly ignored him. 

“I wasn’t aware he was telling you guys this sort of thing,” you said coldly, giving Erwin dirty looks. “I’ll have to talk to him about that. I’ll let you guys go and do that night tour. I can call you guys back in two, three hours and we can talk more then, if you’re available . . . okay, that sounds good. Bye Dad, love you.” You hung up and put your phone back into your backpack. You were silent as a grave. Erwin glanced at you through the rear view mirror. You didn’t acknowledge him; whatever your parents said, it had pissed you off. 

“Are you okay?” Jean leaned in and whispered, lips nearly brushing your ear. 

“I’m fine,” you muttered, folding your arms in front of your chest. 

“[First], let’s talk about this when we get home tonight,” Erwin said, looking at you through his rear view mirror. You scowled at him. 

“If I go home tonight,” you muttered. 

*Six Hours Later*

_Knock, knock, knock._ The quiet sound almost flew under the radar in Levi’s noisy office as he and Jean packed up their belongings. 

“Name and business?” Levi asked, motioning for Jean to stop talking. 

“It’s [First] and I have a favor to ask,” your muffled voice said. 

“Come in,” he called out. You came into the office, not looking as sour as you had hours before, but still looking upset. 

“I know this is a really big favor, but I was wondering if one of you could drive me to my friend’s house?” you asked. “I’m staying with her for a few days and I don’t want to get a ride from Erwin for obvious reasons.” 

“I can give you a ride,” Levi and Jean said at the same time, trying to beat the other to the punch and both failing. 

“What happened? You were pissed this morning and now you’re staying at a friend’s,” Jean added, raising an eyebrow at you. Sighing, you leaned against the wall. 

“I was on the phone a few nights ago talking with my friend Petra about guys and apparently Erwin overheard and mentioned that to our parents. I’m not exactly social so I guess he figured they’d be excited that I was making friends, but you know how parents are,” you laughed humorlessly. 

“Why, was the conversation romantic to begin with?” Jean asked. 

“Well, I . . . why would that matter at all?” you changed gears quickly, becoming defensive. That was not the right thing to say, Jean regretted immediately, looking away from you. 

“He’s asking because we want to know who you were talking about,” Levi answered. 

“Why does that – wait, hold the phone. _What?”_ you demanded, looking from Levi and Jean. “Are you saying you want to know because you’re interested?!” 

“Yes,” Jean replied bluntly, sitting back down in his chair. You said nothing, making the two men nervous, to say the least. 

“I need to go think about this,” you announced softly, leaving the office and returning to your cubicle. _They like me? I mean, I realized they were being very friendly but I just figured that was because I’m Erwin’s little sister. Of all the days I had to deal with this,_ you softly groaned, resting your head in your hands. _First I have to deal with Erwin talking about me behind my back, and now this. I mean, both are nice guys, but this was the worst possible time to make some declaration of love._ You shortly exhaled. _So what am I going to do? I mean, they are nice, but should I get together with them or not? And if I do, which one?_

You sat in dead silence, slowly breathing and trying to work your feelings out. When you felt like you had everything carefully thought out, you stood up and went to go make your decision known.


	2. Levi's Ending

You let out a low groan as Levi’s hands ran themselves down your back and over your butt. Your grip on him grew tighter, your kisses growing sloppier and more passionate. Levi forced your hips down onto his, grinding against you. His wet lips left a trail of kisses from your mouth to your neck, making you mewl as he nipped and sucked on the crook of your neck. The two of you were acting as if it had been months since you last touched each other, every movement hurried and focused on pleasure, but even with the lustfulness of your actions, they were also charged with love.

And just when you two were pulling off the last few remaining garments on your bodies, the sound of the front door of your apartment cut through the air like sirens. Levi muttered darkly under his breath, two two of you making a mad frenzy to get your clothes back on. 

"[First], I'm home," Erwin called from the kitchen. Levi zipped and buttoned up his pants as you leaned over the side of your bed, reaching blindly for a book or something to cover up what you and Levi had really been up to. Your fingers hit the soft cover of a paperback and you grabbed it. Levi turned the lamp on and you flipped the book open to a random page as your brother opened the door to your bedroom open. 

“Hey, Erwin!” you greeted him cheerfully, missing the sight of Levi’s face getting paler and paler. Erwin raised an eyebrow at the two of you. 

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked cautiously, for once in his life looking nervous. 

“No, not at all,” you lied. What’s up with him, you wondered. “We’re just reading a book together, is all. We’re just reading . . .” – you looked down at the book and frowned, color flooding your face – “Uh, we’re . . . heh, we’re reading _The Kama Sutra_ . . .” An awkward silence fell: you redder than a tomato, Erwin’s gaze shifting nervously around the room, and Levi suddenly fascinated by one of his shirt buttons.

“I, uh, I’m going to go to the store and get a bottle of wine. And drink said bottle at Hange’s. I’ll see you two later.” And just as abruptly as he came home, Erwin left. The front door to your apartment shut, the lock audibly clicking into place, and you nervously laughed. 

“I really should have put that book in a better place,” you said. Levi groaned. 

“We wouldn’t have this problem if you came over to my place more often,” he commented. 

“Your place is so far away, though,” you complained, putting the book aside on your night stand. 

“Not if you moved in with me.” _Wait, what?_ Your eyes grew to the size of saucers as you looked at Levi. His face was the picture of seriousness. 

“You want me to move in with you?” 

“We’ve been dating for, what, eight months now? I think it’s time you come and live with me, if you want. I’m sick of one of us having to return to our apartments after seeing each other. Look, do you wanna move in or not?” he finished impatiently. You giggled, giving him a chaste kiss. 

“I’d love to move in with you, Levi.”


	3. Jean's Ending

Giggles floated through the air as you looked back at your creation. Frothy soap bubbles clung to Jean's face as he sat with you in your bathtub.

"You look good with a beard, Jean," you teased him. He rolled his eyes, wiping the bubbles off his face. 

"This is the last time I'm taking a bath with you," he threatened. 

"We both know that's never gonna happen," you remarked with a smug grin, booping his nose. 

"Oh yeah? Just wait and s-" 

"[First], I'm home!" Your stomach fell to the smooth bottom of the tub as your brother Erwin's filtered through the air and thin apartment walls. 

"I'm in the bath!" you called back. "You don't have anything in my room, right?" you whispered to Jean. 

"No, all my stuff's in here," he whispered back, looking like he had just seen a ghost. 

"Okay. Maybe once you're done we can go and have dinner?" he suggested. You could hear him lean against the wall opposite the bathroom door. 

"I-I just got in; I don't know how much longer I'll be," you lied, looking down at the crevices and wrinkles in your fingers. 

"I can wait. I'm not super hungry right now anyway," he said. "I just thought it'd be fun to have an outing tonight since we haven’t really been able to spend time together lately.” 

“Yeah, I’d really like to go out and have dinner too. I’ll try to be fast in here,” you told him. Jean gave you a dark look, prompting you to glare right back at him. 

“Okay. I’ll be waiting in my room,” he said. You glanced at Jean, motioning for him to get out of the tub. 

“You can make your escape now that Erwin’s holed up in his room!” you said quietly. Jean sighed, but got out of the bathtub. 

“Next time we’re doing this at my place!” he said firmly, drying himself off with a towel. 

“I’m down for that,” you grinned. Jean pulled his clothes back on with breakneck speed. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” you said, kneeling in the tub as Jean leaned over to kiss you goodbye. 

“Sounds good,” he said. He opened the bathroom door, prepared to slip out of your apartment undetected. His timing, however, was awful. 

“Hey [First], I think I’m going to . . .” Erwin’s voice trailed off as he stepped out of his bedroom, getting a very clear view of you and Jean. 

“Um . . . hi, sir,” Jean laughed nervously, rubbing the nape of his neck.


	4. Take the Third Option Ending

You peered through the Venetian blinds into Levi’s office before knocking on the door: you had to make sure both he and Jean were in there. “It’s [First]. May I please come in?” you called. Muffled footsteps preceded Jean opening the door, letting you into the office.

“What’s going on, [First]?” Levi asked as Jean shut the door behind you. 

“Listen, I . . . I’m extremely flattered that you both of you like me and all, and don’t get me wrong, I really think you guys are really nice and I like you two, but . . .” 

“But what?” Jean asked. 

“I’m just not interested in starting a relationship right now. I want to focus on my career and my own life right now. I don’t have the time for a relationship, nor do I really want one,” you explained, feeling sick from the nerves dancing in your stomach. “Jean, Levi, you’re both really great guys and I’d like to stay friends, but I’m don’t want a relationship right now.” They were quiet for a few agonizing seconds before Levi shrugged. 

“All right. That’s fine,” he said. You could hear the hint of disappointment in his voice, but you were just glad he wasn’t making a fuss about your decision. 

“Yeah. Can’t say I’m not disappointed, but if you don’t want a relationship, I’ll respect that,” Jean said, putting a hand on your shoulder. Relief relaxed your body and painted a small smile on your face. 

“Thank you guys for understanding,” you beamed at them. Levi curtly nodded and Jean smiled back at you. “I’ll see you guys later! Erwin’s asked me to help me writing up some paperwork,” you said. You waved goodbye to them and let yourself out of his office, a large smile on your face. _That went better than expected,_ you thought happily.


End file.
